Chapter 96

I, who had fallen asleep as if fainting, felt the light settling on my eyelids and laboriously opened my heavy eyes.

Looking out the window, the sun was high in the sky.

A small breathing sound came from beside me, and I turned to see Nine sleeping soundly.

He usually wakes up early, but seeing that he hadn’t yet, it seemed like he was still tired from the journey.

We had slept in the same room all the way back from the capital, but since Nine always trained in the morning, this was the first time seeing him asleep like this.

I lay on my stomach, propping my head up with both arms, and gazed at Nine.

The current Nine looked even more disheveled than he had on the morning of the love potion incident.

Perhaps the early summer weather in Fernandis, which was closer to the south of the west, was too hot for a Northerner, as the blanket had slipped down below his navel.

His sculpted body, without a stitch of clothing, was tangled in the messy blanket, creating a very stimulating sight.

“Wow…”

I gasped in admiration at Nine’s messy state, which I hadn’t properly seen last night in the heat of the moment, and couldn’t help but gulp.

Then.

“Pfft.”

Nine chuckled and slowly opened his eyes.

He must have already been awake and was just pretending to sleep since I was looking at him.

He turned his body to face me and, smiling warmly, asked.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. How about you, Nine?”

“Me too.”

His voice, slightly husky and languid, was pleasant to hear.

I smiled, returned his morning greeting, wiggled closer, and nestled into his embrace.

Nine, with a languid and relaxed expression, chuckled softly and hugged me back.

It was the morning of an ordinary couple.

We stayed like that for a long time, feeling each other’s warmth and chatting softly.

“I think sleeping in together is nice too. Will it be a little difficult to do this once we return to the Duchy?”

“No. We can still do it even after we go back.”

Nine kissed my forehead lightly as he answered.

When we return to the Duchy, we’ll probably try not to sleep in, as we’ll be busy with our respective duties, as always.

‘But now that he said the family members are helping, it might be possible,’ I thought.

I rubbed my face against his chest, then froze.

“……”

“……”

“Um, Nine. Should we get up soon…?”

“Y-Yes.”

In the sudden awkward atmosphere, we hastily got out of bed and got ready.

Lazing around together was nice, but if we stayed in bed any longer, we might fall asleep again or another ‘fire’ might start.

‘That was close,’ I thought.

I covered my flushed cheeks and calmed my racing heart.

Nine and I were clearly both workaholics.

The sweet morning was brief. Since we were both starting to worry about the Eclipse Duchy’s situation, we immediately contacted them via the communication orb after a late breakfast.

The first person to appear on the communication orb was Norman.

“-Your Grace?”

“Norman.”

Norman alternated glances between me and Nine, then let out a sigh of relief.

He immediately said, “-I will prepare a brief reporting session. Please wait a moment.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Norman summoned the key administrative staff and the Knight Commander.

Gathering one by one, they glanced at the communication orb placed at the head of the table and took their seats.

The faces of those gathered showed satisfaction and relief directed towards us, the couple.

I had been conscious of them possibly having a hard time because of me during this chaotic time in the Empire, but I didn’t see a shred of the atmosphere I expected, which made me a little puzzled.

“First, let me thank you all for your hard work during my absence.”

Nine, after confirming everyone was present, acknowledged their efforts.

Across the communication orb, a few faces revealed undeniable pride and self-satisfaction.

But that heartwarming atmosphere was brief.

“Now, report.”

Everyone immediately straightened their relaxed expressions and began their report in a serious atmosphere.

“-Monsters are still appearing all over the Empire. However, our investigation shows that they mainly appear in areas where the lord’s management is poor or defenses are inadequate. We think it’s absurd, but we report this because we couldn’t find any other clear common factors to dismiss it as a coincidence.

-The problem is that a new cult is proselytizing heavily in those areas. Since the lords cannot protect their territories, the trust of the territory residents has collapsed, leading them to rely on the cult. We’ve confirmed that monsters actually retreated after a prayer, and people are increasingly devoted to this religion, seeing it as a miracle.

-Furthermore, we confirmed that the Laurel Count’s family, which we have been watching, is also deeply involved in the same religion.”

While I was away, the events of the original novel were beginning in earnest.

Cold sweat formed on my palms from worry and tension.

I clenched my fists and listened to the continuing conversation.

“What is the status of the territory?”

“-Missionaries were also found in the territories of the Eclipse vassals, but fortunately, their trust in the Silver Wolf is strong, and the missionaries were driven out. However, the religion is spreading from the fringe territories not fully loyal to Eclipse to large territories across the Empire, causing revolts among the residents everywhere.”

Even before I left the Duchy, the situation for the Eclipse Duchy was not favorable.

At this time, with monsters appearing sporadically throughout the Empire, the Imperial Family and nobles, who had lived peacefully hidden behind Eclipse, had no experience in monster subjugation.

Some nobles were somehow managing to deal with it well, but the majority could not, so all eyes turned to the Duchy, which had always handled monsters.

Some claimed that the Duchy was to blame for the current situation, arguing that the Eclipse Duchy hadn’t properly subjugated the monsters. Others pleaded with the Eclipse Duchy for rescue.

The current Empire was literally a crucible of chaos. In such a state, proselytization that exploited people’s fear must have been truly effective.

‘…But the monsters retreated after a prayer?’

I was lost in thought for a moment.

In the original novel, there was almost no mention of the religion. It was just a single reference that Count Laurel was deeply involved in the cult.

‘Could there be something more to that religion?’

As I tried to pursue this sudden question, I noticed the faces across the communication orb had darkened further.

The stories so far weren’t light, but it seemed there was an even bigger problem remaining.

Nine and I sensed the strange atmosphere and silently waited for the report.

Norman spoke.

“-And… taking advantage of this situation, the Laurel Count’s side submitted a joint petition to the Emperor accusing our Duchy.”

“What?”

-“……”

Norman’s face instantly twisted in dismay.

The accusation he proceeded to report was nonsense that sounded plausible at first glance.

They claimed that the Eclipse Duchy was suppressing the Northern Nobles and even holding Count Laurel’s own nephew hostage.

Furthermore, they claimed that the current monster crisis was instigated by the Eclipse Duchy out of resentment for the Empire’s neglect, despite the Duchy having taken charge of monster subjugation for a long time.

‘What? The final goal of Eclipse is independence from the Empire and the revival of the former Northern Dynasty?’

While I was dumbfounded, Norman’s report was not over.

“-The problem is the significant number of nobles who signed that petition. Although His Majesty the Emperor dismissed it as nonsense, nobles holding grudges against the Eclipse Duchy have joined in, and its influence is growing. The fact that some of the signees are Northern Nobles under the Eclipse Duchy’s jurisdiction is giving it more weight.”

“……”

We listened to the report and fell silent side-by-side.

How the situation unfolded was obvious.

Because of the trust that had upheld the North, the Imperial citizens, who would have initially thought it couldn’t be true, would start to wonder.

In a grave situation with monster attacks, the contents of the petition would seem all the more plausible the more people supported it.

“…I will return by tomorrow.”

Nine said just that and ended the communication via the orb.

After seeing the figures showing their respect one last time, our faces were reflected in the communication orb like a mirror.

‘I wish we could have stayed longer to enjoy our honeymoon.’

After hearing the report, the situation was more serious than I had thought; it was absolutely no time for rest.

‘Still, I don’t think Eclipse will lose.’

It wasn’t because I knew the original story. It was a conviction that came from getting to know the people of the Eclipse Duchy while living with them.

I gently leaned my head on Nine’s shoulder next to me. Nine put his arm around my shoulder and asked.

“When everything is sorted out and it becomes peaceful, should we go on a proper trip?”

“Where to?”

As I fiddled with Nine’s hand and waited for his answer, he listed several potential destinations.

But he would list a place and then immediately dismiss it, saying it was too far, which made me chuckle softly.

I said.

“Seeing today, it looks like things kept running without us, right? If they can manage well without us even in this situation, they’ll be fine for a whole year once everything’s over.”

Nine let out a small laugh and nodded.

After a brief silence, he subtly spoke of an even more distant future.

“…Later, when our child is born and comes of age, it would be nice to hand over the ducal title and spend the rest of our lives traveling with you.”

“That sounds wonderful too.”

We chatted intimately and began preparing to return to the Duchy early the next day.